The Parsha Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe TORCH

The first verse of our Parsha revisits a tragic event from the past. The Torah tells us that after the death of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu, Moshe was instructed to command Aaron about the prohibition against entering the Holy of Holies unauthorized. What is the significance of the tragic demise of Aaron’s two sons […]

The verse in our Parsha makes a big promise: if you adhere to the Mitzvos and statutes and laws of the Torah you will be granted life. Life is what we all so deeply covet. Torah and Mitzvos are the ways to get it. But it doesn’t seem to bear out in the real world. […]

The three chapters of our parsha cover three general categories. First we read about the Yom Kippur sacrifices and procedures; then we learn about the prohibitions against consumption of blood among other ritualistic and sacrificial laws; and the final chapter is oriented around the many prohibited sexual relationships. – – – – – – – […]

The Metzora (one stricken with tzaraas) is unwelcome in polite society. Even impolite society doesn’t want anything to do with him. They must leave the camp. They must be alone, in seclusion, in isolation outside of the camp. They may not have close interaction with others. Others don’t even want to have any interaction with […]

How involved is God in the day-to-day lives of humanity? What is the nature of divine communication to humanity? The central subject of our Parsha offers a fascinating window into this question. In antiquity – when our people were very close to the Almighty and very elevated spiritually – every sin would register as a […]

A metzora is someone who is stricken with the tangible illness of tzaraas caused by a variety of sins, most notably the sin of lashon hara, evil talk and slander. Last week we read about two varieties of this illness: when it strikes a person’s garment or body; the bulk of our parsha orients around […]